cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Reply
MarinaShalneva
Frequent Visitor

Challenges with Power Automate Desktop in Unattended Mode

Hello everyone,

I'm currently facing some challenges with Power Automate Desktop in Unattended mode. My workflow involves interactions with a web application, executing multiple actions within it. Originally developed in Attended mode, the flow runs smoothly and completes all necessary tasks. However, a couple of issues have emerged upon transitioning to Unattended mode. Firstly, Power Automate Desktop struggles to gain control of the Chrome browser. Despite attempting to resolve this by reinstalling the browser extension and restarting the VM, the problem persists intermittently. Another concern is the failure of various actions within the Unattended mode. Interestingly, no such issues arise when I run and debug the flow in Attended mode.

I'm curious to know if anyone else has encountered similar inconsistencies between Attended and Unattended modes. If so, how did you address these issues to ensure stability in Unattended mode? Your insights and advice on this matter would be immensely valuable to me. Thank you in advance for your help.

5 REPLIES 5
Highboy
Super User
Super User

Well, we always use some time going from debug mode to unattended mode, even tho our developer server and production servers are 100% identically with hardware and software.
There can be timing issues, getting ui's and so on.
Don't know why, but it always happens.


Agnius
Most Valuable Professional
Most Valuable Professional

As to launching the browser, I would suggest using a different approach, where you launch it via Run application and then attach it. This is foul-proof approach that has worked for me for years now, while the normal Launch new Chrome action does tend to fail when the extension does not load in time. Feel free to copy these actions for my standard LaunchBrowser sub-flow:

SET URL TO $'''SetSomeURLHere'''
System.RunApplication.RunApplication ApplicationPath: $'''chrome''' CommandLineArguments: $'''www.google.com''' WorkingDirectory: '' WindowStyle: System.ProcessWindowStyle.Maximized ProcessId=> AppProcessId
WAIT (UIAutomation.WaitForWindow.ToOpenByTitleClass Title: $'''Google*''' Class: $'''Chrome_WidgetWin_1''' FocusWindow: True) FOR 30
WebAutomation.LaunchChrome.AttachToChromeByTitle TabTitle: $'''Google''' AttachTimeout: 5 BrowserInstance=> BrowserMain
ON ERROR REPEAT 5 TIMES WAIT 3
END
WebAutomation.GoToWebPage.GoToWebPageCloseDialog BrowserInstance: BrowserMain Url: URL

 

As to some UI actions failing, I would always suggest having a Take screenshot action called on error whenever you use UI automation in unattended mode. It helps debugging any possible issues. You can put it into a sub-flow and call that sub-flow from an On block error action. Also, I would suggest using Get last error, too, and logging the error. This way you will at least be able to figure out what's wrong and make appropriate changes.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
If I have answered your question, please mark it as the preferred solution. If you like my response, please give it a Thumbs Up.

I also provide paid consultancy and development services using Power Automate. If you're interested, DM me and we can discuss it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If I have answered your question, please mark it as the preferred solution. If you like my response, please give it a Thumbs Up.
Regards, Agnius Bartninkas
OkanAT
Super User
Super User

We had a lot of problems at the start between attended and unattended.

 

The solution was pretty simple, yet hard to find. Our screen resolution settings (the default) on our machine where we run unattended flows, was not set to True.

 

Check step 2 of the docs

Maybe you guys have set it to False?

Thank you for this, I have already amended the config file of power automate but the outcome is inconsistant 

Have you tried @Highboy recommendation on slowing your flow with times between actions? You could also check in the history of your unattended flow run, which action fails the most and work from there.

Helpful resources

Announcements

Community will be READ ONLY July 16th, 5p PDT -July 22nd

Dear Community Members,   We'd like to let you know of an upcoming change to the community platform: starting July 16th, the platform will transition to a READ ONLY mode until July 22nd.   During this period, members will not be able to Kudo, Comment, or Reply to any posts.   On July 22nd, please be on the lookout for a message sent to the email address registered on your community profile. This email is crucial as it will contain your unique code and link to register for the new platform encompassing all of the communities.   What to Expect in the New Community: A more unified experience where all products, including Power Apps, Power Automate, Copilot Studio, and Power Pages, will be accessible from one community.Community Blogs that you can syndicate and link to for automatic updates. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this transition. Stay tuned for the exciting new features and a seamless community experience ahead!

Summer of Solutions | Week 4 Results | Winners will be posted on July 24th

We are excited to announce the Summer of Solutions Challenge!    This challenge is kicking off on Monday, June 17th and will run for (4) weeks.  The challenge is open to all Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, Copilot Studio & Power Pages) community members. We invite you to participate in a quest to provide solutions to as many questions as you can. Answers can be provided in all the communities.    Entry Period: This Challenge will consist of four weekly Entry Periods as follows (each an “Entry Period”)   - 12:00 a.m. PT on June 17, 2024 – 11:59 p.m. PT on June 23, 2024 - 12:00 a.m. PT on June 24, 2024 – 11:59 p.m. PT on June 30, 2024 - 12:00 a.m. PT on July 1, 2024 – 11:59 p.m. PT on July 7, 2024 - 12:00 a.m. PT on July 8, 2024 – 11:59 p.m. PT on July 14, 2024   Entries will be eligible for the Entry Period in which they are received and will not carryover to subsequent weekly entry periods.  You must enter into each weekly Entry Period separately.   How to Enter: We invite you to participate in a quest to provide "Accepted Solutions" to as many questions as you can. Answers can be provided in all the communities. Users must provide a solution which can be an “Accepted Solution” in the Forums in all of the communities and there are no limits to the number of “Accepted Solutions” that a member can provide for entries in this challenge, but each entry must be substantially unique and different.    Winner Selection and Prizes: At the end of each week, we will list the top ten (10) Community users which will consist of: 5 Community Members & 5 Super Users and they will advance to the final drawing. We will post each week in the News & Announcements the top 10 Solution providers.  At the end of the challenge, we will add all of the top 10 weekly names and enter them into a random drawing.  Then we will randomly select ten (10) winners (5 Community Members & 5 Super Users) from among all eligible entrants received across all weekly Entry Periods to receive the prize listed below. If a winner declines, we will draw again at random for the next winner.  A user will only be able to win once overall. If they are drawn multiple times, another user will be drawn at random.  Individuals will be contacted before the announcement with the opportunity to claim or deny the prize.  Once all of the winners have been notified, we will post in the News & Announcements of each community with the list of winners.   Each winner will receive one (1) Pass to the Power Platform Conference in Las Vegas, Sep. 18-20, 2024 ($1800 value). NOTE: Prize is for conference attendance only and any other costs such as airfare, lodging, transportation, and food are the sole responsibility of the winner. Tickets are not transferable to any other party or to next year’s event.   ** PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHED RULES for this CHALLENGE**   Week 1 Results: Congratulations to the Week 1 qualifiers, you are being entered in the random drawing that will take place at the end of the challenge.   Community MembersNumber SolutionsSuper UsersNumber Solutions Deenuji 9 @NathanAlvares24  17 @Anil_g  7 @ManishSolanki  13 @eetuRobo  5 @David_MA  10 @VishnuReddy1997  5 @SpongYe  9JhonatanOB19932 (tie) @Nived_Nambiar  8 @maltie  2 (tie)   @PA-Noob  2 (tie)   @LukeMcG  2 (tie)   @tgut03  2 (tie)       Week 2 Results: Congratulations to the Week 2 qualifiers, you are being entered in the random drawing that will take place at the end of the challenge. Week 2: Community MembersSolutionsSuper UsersSolutionsPower Automate  @Deenuji  12@ManishSolanki 19 @Anil_g  10 @NathanAlvares24  17 @VishnuReddy1997  6 @Expiscornovus  10 @Tjan  5 @Nived_Nambiar  10 @eetuRobo  3 @SudeepGhatakNZ 8     Week 3 Results: Congratulations to the Week 3 qualifiers, you are being entered in the random drawing that will take place at the end of the challenge. Week 3:Community MembersSolutionsSuper UsersSolutionsPower Automate Deenuji32ManishSolanki55VishnuReddy199724NathanAlvares2444Anil_g22SudeepGhatakNZ40eetuRobo18Nived_Nambiar28Tjan8David_MA22   Week 4 Results: Congratulations to the Week 4 qualifiers, you are being entered in the random drawing that will take place at the end of the challenge. Week 4:Community MembersSolutionsSuper UsersSolutionsPower Automate Deenuji11FLMike31Sayan11ManishSolanki16VishnuReddy199710creativeopinion14Akshansh-Sharma3SudeepGhatakNZ7claudiovc2CFernandes5 misc2Nived_Nambiar5 Usernametwice232rzaneti5 eetuRobo2   Anil_g2   SharonS2  

Check Out | 2024 Release Wave 2 Plans for Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform

On July 16, 2024, we published the 2024 release wave 2 plans for Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform. These plans are a compilation of the new capabilities planned to be released between October 2024 to March 2025. This release introduces a wealth of new features designed to enhance customer understanding and improve overall user experience, showcasing our dedication to driving digital transformation for our customers and partners.    The upcoming wave is centered around utilizing advanced AI and Microsoft Copilot technologies to enhance user productivity and streamline operations across diverse business applications. These enhancements include intelligent automation, AI-powered insights, and immersive user experiences that are designed to break down barriers between data, insights, and individuals. Watch a summary of the release highlights.    Discover the latest features that empower organizations to operate more efficiently and adaptively. From AI-driven sales insights and customer service enhancements to predictive analytics in supply chain management and autonomous financial processes, the new capabilities enable businesses to proactively address challenges and capitalize on opportunities.    

Updates to Transitions in the Power Platform Communities

We're embarking on a journey to enhance your experience by transitioning to a new community platform. Our team has been diligently working to create a fresh community site, leveraging the very Dynamics 365 and Power Platform tools our community advocates for.  We started this journey with transitioning Copilot Studio forums and blogs in June. The move marks the beginning of a new chapter, and we're eager for you to be a part of it. The rest of the Power Platform product sites will be moving over this summer.   Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the launch. We can't wait to welcome you to our new community space, designed with you in mind. Let's connect, learn, and grow together.   Here's to new beginnings and endless possibilities!   If you have any questions, observations or concerns throughout this process please go to https://aka.ms/PPCommSupport.   To stay up to date on the latest details of this migration and other important Community updates subscribe to our News and Announcements forums: Copilot Studio, Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Pages

Users online (705)